Levi  moore



-LEVI Moons, or Barranco, WisooNsrN.

Lejterspatent No. 80,652,'datecl August 4, 1368.

IMPROVED CLAY-MILL.

tite ,ttihule nimh tu im tlgise Enters rtert mit making ritt nl tige same.

TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN':

Be it known that I, LEVI MOORE, of Baraboo, in the county of Sauk, and State of Wisconsin, have invented i a new and improved Mill for Grinding Clay; and I do hereby declare that the following` is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and use the same,- reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a vertical cross-section of my'invention through the line :c x, tig. 2.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section, taken through the line y y, fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts. v i

The object of this invention is to provide amill for' reducing clay to'a pulverulent and plastic state, suitable for building-brick or pottery. l

It consists of the form and arrangement ofthe grinding-devices herein setl forth.

The grinding-mechanism is locatedwvithin a frame, A','forming part of the box, containing several Viioors,

from which the clay passes in the several stages ofthe operation.

I is a shaft, bearing the rotating grinding-disk and grinding-arms. This shaft has its upper 'bearing in the crossbeam B, and bears a cog-wheel, C, by means of which the power is transmitted to it.

The lower bearing is on the gudgeon m, a-ixed -to the bottom cross-beam J, one end of which rests in a Vrecess in the frame'of the machine, and with suiiicient looseness to permit the cross-beam the slight` vibration for adjusting the mill to grind fine or coarse, which is done by means of aVsct-screw, n, as will be shown.

The boss D, forming partei' the toothed grinding-plate a a, furnishes another bearing for the shaft, and

the boss Z, ofthe bottom grinding-plate P, furnishes also another bearing for the same shaft. The grinding-plate a a is" a single plate of cast iron, formed with wedge-shaped projections o3 cl d, to its under side.

The ends of this plate r'est in 'recesses in t'he sido ofthe box ofthe machine, which are provided with springs p p, which actuate the plate upward against the points of the set-screws o o, by which means the said plate is controlled and adjusted to grind fine or coarse, as will be shown. Y

L L-is the grinding-disk, and is of cast iron. It is formed with wedge-shaped projections e e e on its upper` and under side, which projections are arranged to pass between the similar corresponding projections ddd, Etc.,

.andff on the grinding-plates a a and M M respectively.

The clay is ground and rendered suitably plastic by the friction it receives from the projections of the several plates passing in close proximity to each other. 4

The plate M is of casty iron, and consists offour radial arms, resting on and aiiixed to thejiloor D. The

projectionsffjQ 36e., ofthe plate M, are similar to those of the disk L.

A circular opening,`0, in the floor D permits the clay to pass through to the lower grinding-plate G G P P. The plate GG has four radial arms, extending 'from a hub, 7c, and projections L h h, libc., similar to those above described. i

The plate P P is'atlixed to the bottom, II, and provided withi`projections z'iz', Sie., similar to those above described. This latter plate is'also ofcast iron, and in the form of four radial arms,

E E are doors, opening into the cavity of the box 4on the plane of the floor D. Q Q are similar doors, opening into the cavity of the box on the plane of the bottom, H, both upper and lower doors being provided with suitable knobs to open them.

The doors E are swungiopen on hinges, but'the doors Q Q are lifted vertically 4into recesses, which recesses are provided with guirlefstrips r r to retain the. doors in place. i.

Theclay is thrown into the hopper K, and upon the revolving disk L L, which, in conjunctionwith grinding?- plate a a, grinds it up, at the same time working itfrom the centre outward tothe periphery of the disk, over which it falls through space u between the disk and the box, falling upon the floor D,iwhere it is further ground by the diskand lower plate M. At this point,\the lumps, sticks, and pebbles are worked outward and discharged through the doors E E, while the more plastic and uent clay isr conducted, by the chutes N, to the central opening O in the door D, and thence to the grinding-"plates G. G PIP, when its is more perfectly comminuted.

The clay then passes out through the doors Q Q into the moulds or` other receptacle, being suitably pre.

pared for tho manufacture of brick or pottery-ware.

The projections of the grindingfplates'and the disk are alike, all being similar to those shown atfff, 8vo.,

in sg. 2.

The projections of each plate, as' z' and k, are reversed, that is to say, the points are in opposite directions, and this and these surfaces are curved slightly, rwhich form conduces to the squeezing ofthe vclay between them.

When tle cross-beam J is raised, by means of the set-screw n, the grinding-plate G G and disk are removed from their fixed plates, and the clay is thereby lessiinely comminuted, but, when the said cross-beam is lowered, the revolving part-s arebrought down into closer relation .with their respective plates, and the clay is ground more iinely.

The plate a a is adjusted by the setlscrcivs o o in accordance with the raised or lowered posts ofv the disk.

The doors E E are closed when the mill is in operation, being only opened from time to time to extract the sticks and other hard bodies that are worked out to the periphery of the. disk. l

The more fluent and plastic portion of the clay passes down the chutes N in advance of that which is less iiuent, which lat-ter follows in turn as it becomes equally fluent, .thus leaving the stones andsticks atfthe edge, and conveniently accessible forbeing extracted through the doors.

vThe disk may be substituted by agriuding-plate of two or four arms, having projections similar to those of the disk when the clay is ground for brick, as it is not requisite that it should be so ineas for pottery-warel I claimas new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The disk L, withits projeetions in combination with the grinding-plates a and N, the iioor D, having chutes and opening O, the horizontal grinding-plates G P, having wedge-shaped projections, the shaft I, Hoor I-I, and doors Q- Q, all substantially as and for the purpose-shown and described. y j

LEVI MOORE.

Witnesses:

RUssnL CASE,

Gronau W. WooLsEY. 

